190 Visa is a permanent skilled visa and applicant requires the state nomination. To be eligible for Subclass 190, you must be nominated by a State/Territory Government. It is a point-based visa and allow skilled worker to live and work in Australia as a permanent resident. To qualify, applicants must meet the skilled occupation requirements, language proficiency, and health and character criteria. The 491 visa, also known as the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa, is an Australian visa designed to address regional skill shortages. It allows skilled workers nominated by a state or territory government, or sponsored by an eligible family member residing in a designated regional area, to live and work in Australia for up to five years. The visa holders are required to live and work in a specified regional area to become eligible for permanent residency through the subclass 191 visa.
To apply this visa, you must be:
The applicant must be under 45 years of age at the time (date) of the invitation to apply for the visa.
Must have lodged EOI and the primary applicant have been invited, in writing by the Minister to apply for a Subclass 190 visa.
An applicant for a Subclass 190 visa may be in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance when the application is lodged.If the applicant is in Australia, he or she must hold either a substantive visa or a Subclass 010 (Bridging A) visa (BVA), Subclass 020 (Bridging B) visa (BVB) or Subclass 030 (Bridging C) visa (BVC).
Occupation must in the MLTSSL List or STSOL specified by the minister for the subclass 190 visa. To verify if your occupation is listed in the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) or the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), please use the tool available on our website.
The applicant must have a positive skill assessment for the nominated occupation from the right authority.The skill assessment is valid for maximum 3 years if not stated on the skill assessment.
The applicant must attain a minimum of 65 points in your Expression of Interest (EOI). You can calculate your points by reaching out to our Migration Agent, who will evaluate your point score at no cost to you.It's important to note that when a state or territory government nominates you for the visa subclass 190, you are eligible for an additional 5 points towards your overall points score. These points can significantly enhance your chances of receiving an invitation to apply for the visa.
The 190 and 491 visas operate on a points-based system. Your total points are calculated based on various factors including age, highest qualification attained, completion of studies in Australia, relationship status, work experience outside Australia, work experience within Australia, performance in the NAATI exam, participation in the Professional Year Program, and scores obtained in English language tests.
(Contact our Registered Migration Agent for your preliminary assessment and to check how many points you have accrued so far)
Primary applicant fee - $4770
Secondary applicant over 18 - $2320
Additional applicant under 18 - $1160
If the additional family member does not have functional English, then second installment of $4885 will be required.
Curious about the processing time for the subclass 190 visa? It can vary, but you'll find the latest updates on the Department's website (Global visa processing time). As of February 2024, 90% of the applications finalised in 12 months and 50% of the applications finalised in 11 months.
As of February 2024, 90% of the applications finalised in 17 months and 50% of the applications finalised in 9 months for state or Territory nomination stream. For family sponsored regional stream, 90% of the applications finalised in 19 months and 50% of the application finalised in 9 months.
To be eligible for 190 Visa and 491, applicant must be nominated by a State/Territory and the nomination must be still valid at the time of the visa application lodgment. Applicant will need to meet the criteria for the specific state. Every state has different requirements to be met for subclass 190 and 491. For an example, Victoria may prefer the applicant with the following condition:
Applicant’s nominated occupation should also be in the state occupation list
For the 190 visa, applicants must reside and work in Victoria if they are onshore. Similarly, for the 491 visa, applicants must reside and work specifically in regional Victoria.
We encourage all the applicants to check the specific state’s website for the updated and current requirements. You can also give us a call and book an appointment with experienced registered migration agent.
To lodge your application, you'll need at least competent English. However, having proficient English earns you an extra 10 points, while superior English gets you an extra 20 points for the Subclass 189 visa. The higher your points, the sooner you'll receive an invitation from the department. So, aim for higher proficiency to boost your chances!
You can be in or outside Australia at the time of EOI lodgment. You can apply subclass 190 or 491 visa withing In or Outside Australia. If you lodge the visa from within Australia, you will need to hold either a Substantive Visa or Bridging Visa A, B or C. If you lodge the Skilled Nominated visa from withing Australia, you will automatically get Bridging Visa to remain in Australian while your visa application is being processed with the immigration department.
To check your eligibility, and the different state requirements, you can book an appointment with our highly experience MARA Agents.Our registered Migration Agent, Pankaj Sharma (MARN #2318344), is a GSM expert dedicated to delivering top-notch service and reliable guidance.
